Eindhoven Engine News – June 2025
In this edition of Eindhoven Engine News: Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine join forces, Workshop ‘The Power of Understanding Each Other’, EngD trainee Sichen Guo in the spotlight & more
What else is happening at Eindhoven Engine?
Mijke the Matchbot: Bridging gaps with AI
Hi, I’m Sichen, and I am currently pursuing an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) at Eindhoven Engine. With a background in Industrial Design and a strong focus on user experience (UX) and interaction design, I completed my master’s at Eindhoven University of Technology.
I now work within the focus area Inclusive Society, exploring how AI can bridge the gap between individuals with low literacy and the support systems around them. Our solution? Mijke, the Matchbot.
Breaking barriers with AI
My EngD project focuses on the development of Mijke from the Met Mij project, a conversational AI chatbot designed to support NT1 (Dutch as a first language) adults with limited basic skills in accessing local services. Hosted on WhatsApp and powered by a large language model, Mijke offers both voice and text interaction—reducing the barriers many users face with written communication.
The project explores five core challenges:
1. Clarity in communication
Ensuring the chatbot communicates clearly.
2. Emotional connection
Providing a supportive and empathetic interaction.
3. User-friendly design
Making the chatbot intuitive and user-friendly.
4. Multi-modal accessibility
Offering multiple modes of interaction.
5. Precision in support
Connecting users with the right help efficiently.
For more information about Mijke and the Met Mij project.
Addressing information inequality
Millions of people in the Netherlands struggle with basic literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. Mijke shows a possibility of solving this information inequality by offering a friendly experience tailored to the real-world needs of often overlooked people via Artificial Intelligence (AI). This work stands at the crossroads of technology, social equity, and public service innovation, showing how AI can be used responsibly in human-centered design.
Empowering communities
I aim to help people with limited basic skills access support more easily and confidently. By doing so, I hope to decrease the workload of stakeholders, such as social workers, employees from municipalities, or public service staff. Additionally, I want to set a benchmark for evaluating AI recommendations in social public service contexts and contribute new knowledge and tools to the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI), accessibility, and digital inclusion.
This work stands at the crossroads of technology, social equity, and public service innovation, showing how AI can be used responsibly in human-centered design.
Media: Laaggeletterdheid aanpakken: Oefenen.nl en Eindhoven Engine slaan handen ineen
On Tuesday, May 13, Stichting Expertisecentrum Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine signed a cooperation agreement with a joint mission to make clever use of digital technology to reduce the gap between people with limited basic skills and society.
Read the Dutch article in Algemeen Dagblad.
Media: Laaggeletterdheid aanpakken: Oefenen.nl en Eindhoven Engine slaan handen ineen
On Tuesday, May 13, Stichting Expertisecentrum Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine signed a cooperation agreement with a joint mission to make clever use of digital technology to reduce the gap between people with limited basic skills and society.
Read the Dutch article in Eindhovens Dagblad.
Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine Digital join forces to use digital technology to bridge the gap in basic skills
On Tuesday, May 13, Stichting Expertisecentrum Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine signed a cooperation agreement with a joint mission to make clever use of digital technology to reduce the gap between people with limited basic skills and society.
Challenges for people with limited skills
Currently, millions of young adults in the Netherlands experience difficulty with language, numeracy and/or digital skills. This results in distressing situations, like not being able to understand letters from the bank or not being able to make an appointment with the doctor because it has to be done digitally. Such situations lead to all sorts of negative personal and social consequences, such as living too long with a medical complaint or incurring unnecessary extra costs due to an increase in bank fees, simply because you don’t want or dare to ask for help. With the rapid emergence of technological developments such as AI, this group threatens to fall even further behind.
Although many people are motivated to learn, they tend to seek accessible and practical ways of doing so outside formal education. It is precisely this non-formal provision that is still underinvested, also when it comes to technological innovation.
This is a great milestone and only the beginning. We aim to expand our collaboration with more partners. The more support, the faster we can extend our reach.
Purpose of the cooperation
Stichting Expertisecentrum Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine want to change that. Together, they will update and enhance the learning platform Oefenen.nl with technologies such as artificial intelligence, gamification and smart onboarding. The goal: to make learning more motivating and accessible, so that everyone can work on their language, numeracy and digital skills at their own pace and level.
Powerful combination of knowledge and reach
The cooperation is based on their complementary expertise. Successful participation in Dutch Design Week 2024 and reaching the semi-finals of an innovation award in November 2024 can both be attributed in part to: over 30 projects involving 57 students from TU/e, Fontys and Avans, two EngD trainees working on applying academic research in society and industry, and 150+ hours of co-creation with experience experts. Eindhoven Engine demonstrates how education, technology and social impact go hand in hand, bringing technological expertise, innovative strength and access to the Brainport network.
The gap in basic skills is growing and that demands action. With the reach of Oefenen.nl and the technological innovation power of Eindhoven Engine, we are building a bridge to the future.
Oefenen.nl offers a learning platform that has a proven reach to the target group. In 2024, more than 65,000 participants actively used the Oefenen.nl programs. The platform was visited over 1.45 million times that year and more than 35,000 certificates were awarded. Oefenen.nl works with 400 organizations throughout the Netherlands, including libraries, municipalities and educational institutions, which use its resources to support people in developing their language, numeracy, financial and digital skills. Together, the organizations aim to ensure that the learning experience of users is radically improved and the impact on society is boosted.
Call to industry and knowledge institutions
To make a real difference, Oefenen.nl and Eindhoven Engine are calling on other parties to get involved. Industry, knowledge institutions and government bodies can contribute through donations, co-development or knowledge sharing.
Only by working together can we ensure that no one is left behind and that everyone can participate fully in our digital society.
Eindhoven Engine News – March 2025
In this edition of Eindhoven Engine News: Innovation accelerator Eindhoven Engine enters new phase, Transforming basic skills support with AI and more!
What else is happening at Eindhoven Engine?
Media: Technologie in de volwasseneneducatie (2)
Inclusive technology in educational pathways for adults
In an interview (in Dutch) with Lotte Geertsen (Program manager Inclusive Society) and Walter Baets (Wicked Problems officer), about technology in adult education, they explain that a different way of thinking is needed to innovate. Met Mij from Eindhoven Engine, is designed for people with lack of basic skills, is a perfect example.
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑡𝑤𝑜-𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤. 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.
[Article is in Dutch]
Transforming basic skills support with ai
For over two years, the Inclusive Society focus area at Eindhoven Engine has been tackling the complex issue of lack of basic skills. Driven by the belief that everyone deserves to participate fully in society, we have deeply explored this challenge to find ways to bridge the gap between individuals with low literacy skills and the broader community.
Jéssica Goss, EngD Doctorate in Designing Human-Systems Interaction, joined Eindhoven Engine two years ago to research effective methods to support this group. Her work has been instrumental in shaping our approach.
Met Mij
Met Mij aims to connect individuals with basic literacy needs to the social services available in the Eindhoven region. Despite the presence of over 200 organizations, 8 out of 10 people initially find themselves in the wrong place, leading to feelings of shame and insecurity. By addressing this mismatch and the stigma faced by individuals aged 16 to 40—the hardest group to reach—we are creating an ecosystem where help is both accessible and effective. Our goal is to understand each person’s unique needs, connect them with the right local support, and build their confidence and independence by ensuring they receive the correct assistance on the first try.
A human-centric design approach & AI
We use a human-centric design approach combined with advanced AI technology to provide personalized and stigma-free assistance. Through “Mijke,” our WhatsApp matchbot, users can access services by simply typing or speaking a message. This method ensures ease of use and meets the target group where they are—online. By collaborating with local organizations, we continuously refine Mijke based on real-world feedback, creating a seamless connection between technology and human needs.
Working together with CSU
Most recently, Met Mij participated in CSU’s Innovation Award 2024 and advanced to the semi-finals. Although it did not win, CSU, a professional cleaning company in The Netherlands, recognized the potential of the solution and initiated further collaboration with Eindhoven Engine to test and refine Mijke with their employees. The ongoing tests made by the team have received positive feedback, offering essential insights to improve the tool and ensure it creates a meaningful impact for those it aims to support.
Building a more inclusive Eindhoven
Join us in making Met Mij a reality!
Whether you want to test the tool, contribute your technological expertise, or support us with funding, your involvement is invaluable. Together, we can create a future where everyone has access to the support they need, exactly when they need it. Let’s build a more inclusive Eindhoven and expand this vision to other cities and countries.
Inclusive society
In the Netherlands, 2.5 million people struggle with reading, writing, arithmetic and/or digital skills. These people are confronted with immense challenges on a daily basis, which seriously hinders their participation in society. Eindhoven Engine emphasizes the urgency of this problem and the need for action.
Media: Technologie in de volwasseneneducatie (1)
Inclusive technology in educational pathways for adults
At Eindhoven Engine, we are dedicated to leveraging AI technology to support individuals who struggle with reading and writing, helping them better integrate into society and mitigate the challenges they face.
Our Inclusive Society team has developed the Mijke Tool, an innovative solution integrated into WhatsApp. This tool provides easy access to the right services and assistance for those in need. In a recent article, Ina den Hollander and Ben Vaske from oefenen.nl showcased various applications, including Mijke, demonstrating how AI can foster greater inclusivity. Together, we are making strides towards a more inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑡𝑤𝑜-𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤. 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 two ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.
[article is in Dutch]
Eindhoven Engine at Dutch Design Week 2024
During the week of October 19 to 27, the annual Dutch Design Week took place. From Monday to Friday during DDW, Eindhoven Engine conducted the workshop ‘Aahh, I don’t get it!!’ at the Plug-in Pavilion on Strijp-S.
As part of the Inclusive Society program, Eindhoven Engine addresses the societal challenge that 2.5 million people struggle with reading, writing, arithmetic, and/or digital skills, which affects them daily. We received over 100 registrations, and ultimately, 123 participants attended, spread over the five days. We are very pleased with the turnout and are happy to have inspired so many people and raised awareness!
- More about Inclusive Society
